11
Jun
By Jim Hasek
Mortgage, ,

Buying A Home: You Might Be Able To Skip The Home Appraisal – But Should You?

When someone is thinking about buying a home, one of the key parts is the home appraisal. The appraisal ensures that the buyer is paying a fair price for the home while also protecting the mortgage lender against taking a loss. On the other hand, an appraisal is also an added cost of the buyer can be a serious source of stress for both sellers and brokers. Recently, government agencies have passed a rule saying that home appraisals are no longer going to be required on homes that are less than $400,000; however, many lenders will still require them. Therefore,…
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28
Jan
By Jim Hasek
Real Estate, ,

Eight Signs You’re Ready To Stop Renting And Buy A Home

For many people, owning a home is seen as a rite of passage. At the same time, purchasing a home is expensive. As a result, many people end up renting for an extended period of time. Here are a few signs that someone is ready to stop renting and purchase a home. 1. Rental Prices Keep Going Up Year after year, rental prices are going to keep going up. While the rental company is going to claim that these increases are consistent with the industry, they tend to be exorbitant. As a result, those who are tired of their rent…
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12
Sep
By Jim Hasek
Real Estate, ,

How Long Should I Spend Looking For a New Home?

Whether you've been looking for a home for a long time now, or you're just about to get started on the hunt, you're probably wondering how long should you spend looking for a new home. Does it take weeks to find your forever home, or months or even a year? What's typical? There Is No Typical The reality is, there is no typical amount of time it takes to find your home. There are too many variables, including how actively you're looking. Maybe you've heard horror stories of people who've been hunting for a house for a year. But come…
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04
Apr
By Jim Hasek
Real Estate, ,

11 Simple Ways To Save Money Toward The Purchase Of Your New Home

If you find it difficult to make ends meet, these tips will help you save money in ways that are easy to do and create substantial savings over time. Declutter Get rid of stuff you do use or need by having a garage or yard sale or by putting things for sale on eBay or Craigslist. Make Your Own Coffee Do you really want to make that billionaire richer by buying coffee for $5+ a cup? Make your own gourmet coffee that costs around 50 cents per cup for the same thing. Bring Your Own Lunch Making your lunch the…
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03
Jan
By Jim Hasek
Real Estate, ,

5 First Steps For New Homeowners

As a new homeowner, now is the time to take control and organize your house for safety and security. The following first five steps should be carried out in the first few weeks if possible. 1. Change The Locks There's no way of knowing if the previous owners gave copies of the house keys to a friend, neighbor or cleaning staff. The very first thing you should do when you take ownership is to re-key the locks on all the doors, including the garage and any outbuildings there may be on the property. Alternatively, you can install brand new locks.…
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27
Nov
By Jim Hasek
Real Estate, ,

Buy Or Build Your Home? 5 Factors To Consider

A home is one of the biggest investments you can make, and the American Dream for many. Most people spend significant time finding or designing their "dream home." The first decision is whether to buy or build.  As of September 2018, the average sales price of a new home was $377,200, according to joint data collected from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Existing homes sales price was approximately $258,100, according to the National Association of Realtors.  New homes attract bigger prices than existing ones, meaning building costs are also high. So, how do…
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